Effects of electron-beam curing

Electron-beam-induced cross-linking of the resist polymer increases the bulk modulus and bulk toughness of the feature pattern, as well as the interfacial 

Control Std. Process ESC Process LT Process Process Condition 

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Figure 11.49 Effect of electron-beam curing of resists based on poly(methacrylate) platform and hybrid methacrylate/alicyclic polymer platform on polygate etch. Electron-beam curing improves etch resistance by up to 50% relative to the control (uncured) sample. Processing was done in a nitrogen environment of the ElectronCure Electron Beam Process Chamber utilizing these electron-beam parameters 3.75 keV, 6 mA, 2000 pC/cm. The wafer temperature of the standard (Std.) process was not controlled, that for the electron-beam standard cure (ESC) process was kept at a medium temperature, that for the low-temperature (LT) process was maintained at a iow temperature, whiie that for the control was at room temperature. [After R. Dammel, Practical resist processing, SPIE Short Course No. SC616 (2005).]...

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